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excerpt (Ch. 25) from Everyday Fiqh (vol. 1)

by Abdul Aziz Kamal

1. Regardless
of the severity and seriousness of the disease, the daily prayers have
to be observed at the prescribed times. If a sick person is unable to perform
all the articles of prayer, he may perform only those which he can, and
perform others by using symbolic signs.(1)

2. The
patient should, as far as possible, perform the prayer in the standing
position. Even if a sick or disabled person can stand while the Takbir
Tahrimah is pronounced, he should do so and then perform and complete
the rest of the prayer in the sitting position. For it is not proper to
offer the prayer while sitting when one has the necessary strength to stand
up for it.

3. If
a person is utterly unable to stand up for the prayer, either due to excessive
weakness, or feeling of giddiness, or instability or inability to perform
ruku
and sajdah properly, he is allowed to offer the prayer sitting.

4. If
a person has to offer the prayer sitting, he should sit in the prescribed
way, as in the Qa'dah. If this is not possible he may sit in any
way he likes. And if he cannot perform ruku and sajdah properly,
he may perform these by making symbolic signs.

5. It
is not enough to use the eyes and the eyebrows only for the purpose, while
performing ruku and sajdah by making symbolic signs, but
one should bend the head a little in ruku and a little more in sajdah.

6. If
a person is unable to place the head on the ground in sajdah, he
may perform sajdah by making a symbolic sign. It is undesirable
to lift a pillow or something else and prostrate upon it.

7. If
a person cannot pray even sitting, or experiences undue hardship, or is
afraid that the disease might worsen if he does so, then he should offer
the prayer lying down , in the following way: He should lie down flat on
his back with his legs folded, knees upright, feet resting on the ground
or bed, and toes pointing to the Qibla, and then keeping his head
raised with the help of a pillow, perform ruku and sajdah by
making symbolic signs. If this is not possible, he should lie down with
his head towards the north, and resting the body on the right, perform
the prayer. If this is also not possible, he may offer the prayer in any
way he likes, but as far as possible should not miss it.

8. If
a patient is too weak to perform a prayer, even by symbolic signs, he may
abandon it and offer it later upon recovery as a missed prayer. If this
state of weakness persists and he misses five consecutive prayers, he stands
exempted and need not offer them later at all. Likewise if the patient
has fainted and misses six prayers in this state, he stands exempted and
is not under any obligation to offer them later. Similarly if a healthy
person has a fainting fit and misses six prayers in this state, he is exempted
and need not offer the prayers later.

9. If
a person has a fit of illness during the prayer, and he cannot stand for
the prayer, he may offer it sitting. If he cannot sit, he may offer it
lying down. If he cannot perform ruku and sajdah, he may
perform them by using symbolic signs. In short he should complete the prayer
somehow.

10. If
a person fears that while standing up for the prayer in a moving boat,
ship or train, he may lose his balance or feel giddy etc., he may offer
the prayer sitting. If, however he can stand without any such fear, he
should offer the prayer standing.

11. If
a person has missed some prayers when he was perfectly healthy, and then
falls ill, he should not wait for recovery to offer the missed prayers,
but should offer them somehow, standing or sitting, and pay off the debt
as soon as possible.

12.
If a patient's bed, etc. is impure and it is not possible to change it,
or changing involves undue hardship, he may offer the prayer in the same
impure bed. (Bahishti Zevar)

NOTES

1. The
jurists have stressed that even if a woman has started to have labour pains
and the prayer time approaches, and she is in perfect control of herself,
she should offer the prayer somehow either standing or sitting. For as
soon as the Nifas bleeding starts, the prayer would be rendered
Qada
(missed).